Marlins rally past Giants to even series

 by Clark Spencer, Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
 published on Thursday, October 2, 2003

The Giants´ Rich Aurilia, left, and Barry Bonds congratulate each other after they each scored on a double by Edgardo Alfonzo in the fourth inning during of game two of the National League Division Series at Pacific Bell Park on Wednesday, October 1

Marlins´ first baseman Derrek Lee, right, grabs a pop up ball hit by the Giants´ Benito Santiago as he nearly collides with pitcher Carl Pavano in the fifth inning during game two of the National League Division Series at Pacific Bell Park on

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Giants had the Marlins exactly where they wanted them Wednesday, down a game in the best-of-5 series and down three runs on the Pacific Bell Park scoreboard. They had pushed the Marlins to the edge, because going down 2-0 in such a short playoff series is almost always tantamount to elimination.
But the Marlins bounced back up like an inflatable clown, rallying for a 9-5 victory in Game 2 to even the National League Division Series.
"They're never quitters," manager Jack McKeon said. "They're never going to quit. They get out there and push, push, push."
The Marlins shoved their way back with a hail of hits, clutch relief pitching - and that never-say-die attitude they've been carrying since the end of May when they were 10 games under .500 and fading.
Now they loom large as ever. The series heads to Pro Player Stadium, where nearly 100,000 seats have been sold for Games 3 and 4 and where the Marlins play their best baseball with a 53-28 record (.654).
"To beat them, coming back like we did, that's huge for us," said reliever Chad Fox, one of several heroes Wednesday. "The key was they got us down, but we didn't get down. We proved we're not going to go down easily."
After the Giants scored three runs in the fourth to go up 4-1, the Marlins answered with three runs in the fifth to tie it. And when the Giants regained the advantage in the fifth by scoring a run, the Marlins responded in the sixth with three more of their own.
"I don't think they were that confident on the other side after we did that," said Marlins outfielder Juan Pierre, who had failed to reach base in Game 1 on Tuesday but made up for it with one of the best games of his career.
Pierre had four of the Marlins' 14 hits Wednesday and drove in three of the runs in the pivotal middle innings when the Giants came unhinged.
"Probably the biggest game of my career," the leadoff hitter said. "On Tuesday, probably nobody felt as bad as I did. I know I went to bed Tuesday night thinking about it."
The Giants have something to mull over now as Pierre and the Marlins effectively reduced the playoff to a best-of-3 series.
BOUNCING BACK
The Giants were slapping hands inside their dugout in the fourth when Edgardo Alfonzo ripped a two-run double off Marlins starter Brad Penny and Marquis Grissom slapped a ground ball that produced another run to make it 4-1.
Running out of time and options, McKeon made the first of his several strategical moves when he pulled Penny for pinch-hitter Todd Hollandsworth in the top of the fifth. The decision bore fruit immediately: Hollandsworth singled to put two runners on for Pierre, who singled to right to drive in one run. After Pierre stole second, Luis Castillo's groundout scored Hollandsworth to make it 4-3, and the Marlins tied it on Ivan Rodriguez's single.
"That shows you the character of this club," McKeon said.
But the Giants weren't done. They scored another run in the fifth to retake the lead, and the Marlins intentionally walked Barry Bonds to load the bases.
Enter Carl Pavano, a starting pitcher throughout the regular season but relegated to bullpen duty for playoffs. Pavano said he was hoping to induce a double play with a ground ball but accomplished the same result by retiring Alfonzo and Benito Santiago on a infield pop-outs.
In the sixth, Juan Encarnacion homered off Joe Nathan to ignite a hit parade that ultimately did in the reliever and, for that matter, the Giants. Jeff Conine, Alex Gonzalez and Lenny Harris strung together consecutive singles to load the bases.
Up stepped Pierre, who pulled a fly ball to right that he said started out about 10 feet foul but was carried back into fair territory by the gusting wind.
Jose Cruz Jr., raced after the ball but slipped and fell just as the ball was nearing his glove. It never touched leather, instead bouncing on the warning track and sending two Marlins across the plate to make it 7-5.
"That ball was foul for a long, long time and then, at the very end, the ball came back and landed fair," Giants manager Felipe Alou said. "The wind didn't work in favor of the Giants."
SEALING THE WIN
Fox took the mound for the Marlins and needed only 16 pitches to retire the Giants in order in the sixth and seventh innings, and the Marlins added to their cushion in the eighth by scoring when Grissom dropped Derrek Lee's sinking line drive to center.
Next out to the mound for the Marlins was Dontrelle Willis to face Bonds, a lefty-vs.-lefty matchup that McKeon had spent days planning.
Willis got Bonds to foul out but then gave up back-to-back singles to Alfonzo and Santiago.
Braden Looper took over and, after falling behind 3-0 to Grissom, got him to hit into a ground out and followed by retiring Cruz on a fly ball to left. Ugueth Urbina pitched the ninth and set the Giants down in order to end the game.
"It was pretty much a must-win game for us," Conine said.
The series heads to South Florida now, where the largest crowds since 1997 are expected.
"We had to win at least one here," Urbina said. "Now we're going home with the series tied and where we've played outstanding."
Indeed, the Marlins had the third best home record in the NL.
Then again, the Giants were the only team to sweep them at home.
"I would hope we sent a message that we're not going to give up," Pierre said.